Mosaic of Silver
by Pure-chan
Summary: I am God's child, I was set down on this dying world. Even as the storm hits and I hesitate, the chains binding me won't let me fall. The melodies of sorrow have carved so many scars on my skin, yet I can only take another step forward - away from you. SI and TurkOC. Main game of FFVII
1. Savior

**I only have one excuse: plot bunnies. Honestly, when I want my muse to help me, she doesn't, but when I want to avoid her, plot bunnies chase after me instead. So, I don't know when I will be able to update again, maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, but I have a few chapters already planned out.**

 **Please note that I've never played the games, so some of the information may be inaccurate. Furthermore, there are some differences from the original game from the beginning. It's my first time writing like this, so the story might be a bit confusing at times.**

 **Update (15/10): The original first chapter is now separated into "Savior" and "Eyes".**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Final Fantasy VII. I do, however, own all OCs in this story including Sigma, Rooshmeen and Eric.**

* * *

 _Infinite in mystery, the gift of the goddess_

 _Sought after by three men_

 _Separated by war._

 _The first is captured, his fate uncertain._

 _Another flies away, restless is his wandering soul._

 _And the last becomes a hero, mourning the loss of his friends._

 _Ripples form on the water's surface,_

 _Like the flapping of a butterfly's wings,_

 _Evolve into tragedy._

 _-_ Pure-chan's interpretation of LOVELESS, Act I

* * *

 **SAVIOR**

* * *

 _ **Midgar Ödland**_

An auburn-haired man cursed as he flew towards the sound of gunshots. For the past few weeks, he's been doing nothing but chasing after the dratted puppy, forgoing his own rehabilitation. The former commander's strength was still nowhere near its peak, holding him back when he faced off monsters for longer than necessary. Unfortunately, it was most detrimental to his progress, which was why he was currently straining himself to fly faster as echoes of a massacre rang in his ears. There was another noise too, he noticed, the sound of fans swirling at high speed.

 _A helicopter,_ he surmised. _The Turks, perhaps._

Shaking his head, the former SOLDIER turned his attention back to his first priority: the safety of Angeal's puppy and said puppy's protégé. Yet, too soon, much too soon, the gunshots ceased. The other source of the loud, spinning noises was beginning to fade away, ever so slightly.

Overcome by panic – not that he would ever admit it to anyone else – the redhead beat his wing, propelling himself forward with more speed and force than ever Turks, grew noisier every second. Drops of rain began to fall, one after the other before being released in a downpour all at once, effectively soaking him down to the bone. It didn't matter though, nor did the pain in his wing. Below him, the Wastelands grew darker as he neared a valley of corpses, the averse turning into a small storm.

Heaps of infantrymen lay about, a blonde man crawling over them to reach his fallen friend. The one-winged angel landed next to the former First Class, mako blue eyes taking in the battered form below him.

"G-Genesis?" the black-haired man croaked as he recognized the kneeling figure.

"Save your strength, Puppy." Panic was replaced by professional calm as the renegade looked through his supplies. There were ethers, potions, some materia… A leather-clad hand grasped one of the green shining orbs, recognizing its feel. _Cure._

Instead of using the materia, Genesis pocketed it, preferring to give his… acquaintance a potion instead. It was gulped down, not without difficulty, but the redhead doubted the puppy would last another day without proper medical attention. His hand clutched the orb in his leather jacket, debating whether completely healing the fallen soldier was worth sealing so many bullets inside him.

Just then, he noticed the sound of a helicopter drawing closer – no, it was already close. In fact, the former commander noted as he raised his head, it was landing on the cliff they were on, but further away.

Once the landing was complete, the pilot leapt out of the chopper, not a hair out of place, making him feel the urge to curse his misfortune.

The silver-haired woman was one he easily recognized – one, for her unique hair color, two, for having worked alongside her on a few occasions and three, for being the "sister" of one Silver General. She was one of the most law-abiding Turks the man had ever met, as well as one, if not the strongest one with her SOLDIER strength.

With one barely conscious infantryman, one dying SOLDIER and a greatly weakened one, they would be lucky to knock her out for a short time, much less incapacitate her long enough to flee.

But the serious-looking woman did not proceed to take out the blonde infantryman, nor did she shoot Genesis down with her gunblades. With quick, steady strides, she crossed the valley of corpses without batting an eyelash, taking out an orange-red feather as she did so. Before he could react, she was standing in front of him, the feather in her outstretched hand.

The gunned down SOLDIER grunted as he tried to move, without much success.

"At ease, former First Class Zack Fair," her voice was soft, gentle, very unlike the last time they met. "Here," she handed the feather to Genesis. "A Phoenix Down for your troubles. I have a mako detoxin for Cadet Strife as well."

"Why are you doing this, Sigma?" the former commander asked as she turned around, presumably to heal the other young man. Now that her back was facing him, he could see straks of black within the mass of silver. What happened to her?

"My sister asked me to save First Class Fai and Cadet Strife," was the even reply. "It is also my thanks to them for stopping my brother's rampage." She sighed, something he had never seen her do before. "Once those two have healed sufficiently, I will need your help to bring them on the chopper. The three of you will be staying in a small village near the outskirts of the Wastelands; I have some friends there who can take care of you until you can resume your journey to Midgar."

No more words were exchanged as the enhanced men regained some strength. Sigma carried Cloud to the helicopter with ease and, before long, the four of them were rushing through the air.

ShinRa HQ called during the ride, informing them that the mission concerning the missing test subjects was aborted, both having been killed by the infantry.

"Very well, I will be stopping at Kalm to pick up Shotgun before returning to Headquarters," Sigma told Tseng before cutting off the communication.

Though Genesis was concerned for the unconscious men in front of him, he couldn't help but notice how different the woman piloting the helicopter became since their encounter in Nibelheim, four years prior.

Most of her long tresses were still pulled in a bun behind her head, with one strand flowing down, ending right below her chest. She still wore that pair of gold-rimmed oval glasses with that chain looping from one branch to the other. Her posture was still as regal as ever, but her expression was much more open and kind. She seemed more at peace too, unlike the old days, as though recent events have opened her eyes and she accepted the role she was to play.

Yet, a nagging feeling of uneasiness lingered at the back of his mind.

* * *

They landed at the base of another cliff in the Wastelands, but much further away from the Mako city. Once again, Sigma and Genesis hauled the other two over their shoulders after exiting the chopper. The Turk was quite familiar with the terrain, the Materia master noted idly, though he could not guess how that ever happened.

She finally stopped in front of a section of the cliff and pressed a rock, activating a mechanism which had a large one slide sideways to reveal a passage. A small boy, no older than ten, was waiting for them at the entrance, enthusiastically welcoming the visitors. His name was Eric, Genesis later found out, and he was the youngest of the villagers – "Earthlings", he precised – living in the canyon. Apparently, Sigma had helped them in the past, so they had agreed to take care of the enhanced men in return.

The underground village was a quaint, quiet place. There was a small source running its way through the cavern, drawing the line between the villagers' living space and the caves around it. There were some patches were light would come through, though those were few in number. However, there were remains of bonfires below them, mostly ashes.

The people lived in tents made of animal skin – there was, however, traces of an ongoing project, the first house within the caves. They seemed resigned to live such a dreary lifestyle, but did so by necessity. A few chocobos were tied to a pillar, not too far away, tended to by a man with dark skin and hair.

Now that the former commander looked around for more villagers, he noticed how they seem so few in number, maybe twenty-so at most, yet were of so many different origins. He could tell, not only by the different physical appearances, but also by the languages some spoke in, so different from Midgarian.

Eric led the group to one of the larger round tents, calling it his home. They soon met the boy's "aunt" and "uncle", who had agreed to take in the injured men. The small family was obviously not related; the aunt had dark skin and curly black hair, the uncle was much paler – a Wutaian, Genesis surmised – and Eric had light brown hair and greyish eyes. Despite that, it was obvious that they were a tight-nit family.

" _Here_ ," Sigma handed a pouch of Gil to the aunt once Cloud and Zack were laid on their makeshift beds. " _As far as ShinRa is concerned, those three are dead, so they won't come looking for them. Do you want me to pass on a message for those in the Slums?_ "

After a long internal debate, the middle-aged woman shook her head, accepting the money. " _Be careful, Sigma._ "

" _You too_ ," she replied, squeezing the other woman's hands. " _I can't stay long; duty calls._ "

" _What about Arian?_ " the aunt asked worriedly. " _How is she?_ "

A fond smile made its way to Sigma's lips. " _Alive and well, safe and sound. I'm sure you'll be hearing of her soon, Rooshmeen._ " A soft chuckle escaped her lips. " _If she comes to you, please help her. After all…_ "

She then turned towards Genesis who had been watching the exchange with keen interest despite his inability to decipher their conversation.

"Catch," a pouch, similar to Rooshmeen's, was thrown towards him. "There should be enough to cover most of your expenses. Jeremy and Rooshmeen will be showing you the ropes here. By the time you head to Midgar, the Turks will not be a problem when it comes to entering the city, but there should still be soldiers doing checks at the gates. There may be Turks near Aerith's church though, so you should warn Zack before he sets off to find his girlfriend."

"I am… grateful for your help," Genesis told her, a bit irritated at owing her such a debt.

"The one you should be grateful to is Arian," Sigma declared. "She'll be in Midgar soon enough, but I may not be there to welcome her."

The Crimson Commander nodded in understanding, sealing their deal.

The Turk shot one last look towards the sleeping patients before exchanging goodbyes with the small family and exiting the tent.

That moment she walked out of that tent, Genesis knew without a doubt that he would not be seeing Sigma again for a very long time. At the same time, that very moment the tent separated them, he came to another realization.

The reason for his feeling of uneasiness… He finally found it.

At Nibelheim, before Nibelheim even, Sigma's eyes were like her "brother's", minus the cat-like pupils. They were green, like the Lifestream flowing through the planet.

But when she first came to them on the cliff, when she led them to the village, when she interacted with Eric's family…

Her eyes weren't green then. Yet the color disturbed him just as much.

Her eyes were blue.

Mako blue.

* * *

 **Also, a great thanks to DarkDust27, CowgirlInTheCity and Shiranai Atsune for favoriting this fic. You just made my day!**


	2. Eyes

_"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors."_

 _-_ Jim Morrison

* * *

 **EYES**

* * *

 ** _Midgar Sektor Vier_**

Milana used to be an average college student – short spiky brown hair and brown eyes – studying Engineering and a passionate soccer fan. Until two years ago, all she needed to worry about was excelling her studies and bringing the school's soccer team to the provincial championships. Nothing would have been able to prepare her for the event that shattered her life.

How it happened, she didn't really remember, nor did the others who appeared before and after her. They never really spoke about it, referring to it only as the "2012 Incident". Rather than mourn the loss of their pasts and homes, many of them rose up to the challenge of creating new lives for themselves. It wasn't an easy task; they sometimes have difficulties understanding each other due to cultural differences and the obstacle was even greater when trying to communicate with the locals. At least most of their group knew English, French or one of the other most spoken languages.

And so, they lived as slum rats for a bit more than a year, scavenging whatever they could, sometimes stealing from passerby. A few of the other girls became prostitutes in Sector Six Slums despite warnings.

Strangely enough, four members of their group seemed to recognize the city they appeared in. Their names were Calvin, Florence, Marco and David.

Calvin was a seventeen-year-old American high schooler. Short brown hair with matching brown eyes behind glasses, he was your average studious student. Calvin was a gentle soul, overall, but knew when to make harsh decisions, earning himself the respect of his peers.

Florence was the only female of the group, a young woman in her late twenties. She was Italian, Milana could tell, and retained a thick accent whenever she spoke in French. Her long curly black hair attracted many looks, most of which she retaliated with her hot temper. She was excellent at reigning in troublemakers and keeping order.

Marco seemed to be a Spaniard, but Milana couldn't really tell. He was in his early twenties and was fluent in many languages. In fact, he was the main interpret in their group of thirty-eight and counting. Unfortunately, he didn't always get along well with Florence – the shouting matches that ensued were a sight to see.

David was the eldest of the foursome, being forty-so years old. He played the role of the mediator magnificently; Milana suspected it was due to experience with his children and fellow employees. He majored in Computer Science and had been working in the programming or something of the sort – she didn't understand most of the things he told her. His English was complimented by an Asian accent, but Milana couldn't tell which country he did come from.

All in all, these four people have nothing in common, yet they agreed on the many rules the group – "Earthlings", they called themselves – was to live by. The most prominent ones included staying away from ShinRa, especially the Turks, as well as the abandoned train station in Sector Seven Slums. No one was to go on the train which spiraled over and under the Plate. If possible, pretend that they are mute or simply never learned the Midgarian language – Milana wondered how they came up and agreed on those names – and they must never ever attract attention on themselves.

Not many people followed their lead at first, but after some of the rowdier ones got injured in the Train Graveyard, it was unanimously decided that those four were to be the leaders of the Earthlings. After all, they knew more about what was going on than anyone else and they cared for their peers' well-being.

Those were hard times, she recalled, but they had their lucky days when they could get free meals. It wasn't until the beginning of the second year that things finally began to look up.

One of the people who had been injured at the Train Graveyard, Derek, had been attacked. He claimed that he was heading back to base from Sector Six, cursing as he held his injured arm. According to him, he tripped and fell, triggering another onslaught of profanities. One moment, he was trying to get back up and, the next, a silver-haired woman in a suit was kneeling in front of him, using some kind of magic to heal him. She also told him to drink from a brown flask as the tear in his skin closed up.

" _Where do you live?_ "

Derek had been stupefied, not knowing how to react. On one hand, it was stressed again and again that he must not speak to Turks – "It's easy to spot them in the slums," Marco told them, "they wear black business suits" – but, all the same, she was speaking in English, so she might be able to help. Also, she healed him and was volunteering to walk him back. Sure, he didn't like being treated like a little kid, but he wasn't about to spit at kindness in the face either… not after being thrown into a strange, unfamiliar world like this one.

So he brought her to the base, a warehouse in Sector Four Slums. Florence's temper erupted when she found out about it, mere seconds later, and, for once, Marco joined in the fray, but on her side. Word of Derek's transgression spread like wildfire. Before long, nearly everyone had something to say about it.

Milana remembered feeling a bit of pity for Derek as two of the leaders ganged up on him. Her eyes then turned to the intruder who calmly crossed her arms, leaning against the wall, as she waited for the argument to end. The Turk exuded such a surreal presence that Milana had to pinch herself a few times just to make sure she was not dreaming the woman up. She most certainly did not expect the silver-haired, green-eyed stranger to interrupt the shouting match.

" _Enough!_ " the Turk snapped harshly.

Mouths ceased to speak, heads turned towards the strange woman. The silence was so deafening they could hear even the slightest movement. The leaders showed varied degrees of alarm at her knowledge of two prominent languages from Earth. Milana gulped, feeling that the woman before them could either save them from misery or condemn them to hell.

" _I understand why you are so cautious when it comes to the Turks_ ," she declared. " _And you have good reasons to be._ _However, from the look of things, you cannot afford to refuse my help_."

Bright, shining green eyes surveyed her audience, analysing every single detail, etching it to memory.

" _I will give you some financial support, materia, potions and weapons. I will also teach some of you the Midgarian language and provide necessary information about this world. The others I met, Earthlings like you, will also help. All I ask in return is that you help me save lives that should not be sacrificed for the image of a megalomaniac company._ "

" _You mean the Plate?_ " David asked, his demeanor still so very calm.

A nod was all the others needed. All Milana knew was, whatever they were talking about, it was big. Maybe even 2012 big.

" _Arian informed me about it_ ," the still unnamed woman explained. " _She comes from Earth as well. Is that sufficient?"_

" _What about your name?_ " Calvin spoke up.

" _Sigma_ ," was the court reply.

Just as Sigma promised, she would stop by at odd intervals, giving out money and other necessities along with information and lessons. Usually during her absences, the Earthlings who were lucky enough to end up on the Plate rather than under would also help. It was a relief for many to see that, although their current condition was bad, there was still a bit of hope. Slowly but surely, their community grew bigger and stronger.

And so, another year passed by. It wasn't uneventful; now that at least half of their group knows basic Midgarian, they have begun to look for jobs and many of them do manage to secure employment. There had been an incident in Wall Market Street Sigma was involved in just the other day, but the leaders were mostly vague about the details. It seemed to Milana that Sigma and the leaders knew many things, but decided to shoulder the weight on their own.

Now, a whole year after the day Sigma became a part of their lives, the night sky was unusually bright. David seemed particularly worried and many of the Earthlings were restless. They knew about ShinRa hunting down the Turks and the struggle between the Turks and AVALANCHE. Calvin alluded to the possibility that all will end before it can even begin, though few understood his meaning.

Unable to take the tension, Milana decided to take a small walk in Sector Four Slums for some "fresh" air. The earlier brightness had suddenly disappeared, causing the nineteen-year-old to blink as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. As she walked past several buildings, she heard what seemed to be a groan. Following the noise, she came across a young girl – around fifteen or seventeen, Milana guessed – with long black hair, wearing the Turk uniform.

Without a second thought, the former college student slung the girl over her shoulder and headed back to the base.

Five days had passed since the Turk had been found in the Slums. There were still no news from Sigma and the anxiousness in the warehouse seemed to have diminished. David assured everyone that everything was fine and that the black-haired girl should be able to provide more information. Needless to say, they soon returned to their usual routine.

Milana volunteered to watch over the sleeping guest – after all, she found her, making the Turk her responsibility. Some of the kids would accompany her during their Midgarian lessons or simply out of curiosity, anticipating the moment the closed eyes would open. A few of them actually started a bet on her eye color; so far, most opted for more common colors – brown and grey – but some preferred violet, red, even pink!

As for herself, the brown-eyed woman expected nothing less than dazzling green, the same sported by her missing – dare she say it? – friend.

Maybe it was the presence surrounding the girl, even in sleep, or perhaps her gentle yet striking features; either way, there was something about her that was so _Sigma_. They were two completely different people, true, but there was something, something hard to describe, which made Sigma's image overlap that of the girl's.

When Calvin came to see her on the second day, Milana shared her thoughts with the high schooler. He simply listened, as he always did, nodding from time to time. In the end, he declared that there may be something lurking under the surface, but that they wouldn't know what until she woke. Nevertheless, he thanked her for telling him, adding that he will bring up the subject with the others.

She didn't know what they had decided, not even if there was a decision made about it, but the other leaders had come by to study the Turk, one after the other. Did it mean they deemed her a danger? Or were they trying to see the resemblance for themselves?

 _'Should I ask them for more information?'_ Milana wondered. _'If they still haven't told us, then it shouldn't be too bad, but…'_

The nineteen-year-old did not have a chance to finish her thought, a soft groan diverting her attention.

The teenager was rolling on her side, towards her temporary caretaker, in an attempt to sit up. Milana quickly rushed to her aid, steadying the girl as the latter hissed in pain. Once she was sitting on the bed, the young woman spoke to her charge softly.

"It's alright," she reassured the younger girl in some form of butchered Midgarian. "You're in a safe place. I found you passed out in the slums five days ago."

"Five… days…?" was repeated in a raspy voice.

"Yes. Can you tell me your name? I'm Milana."

The girl turned to face her savior, revealing beautiful eyes under her black locks.

The famed Mako-enhanced eyes SOLDIERs possess.

The eyes the leaders said to avoid.

Eyes that shone just as unnaturally as Sigma's.

Sky blue eyes.

* * *

 _Even if the morrow is barren of promises,_

 _Nothing shall forestall my return..._

 _I offer thee this silent sacrifice._

 _\- LOVELESS, Act V_


	3. Away

**Mosaic of Silver**

 **III**

* * *

 _"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us."_

\- Joseph Campbell

* * *

 **AWAY**

* * *

 _ **Unbekannt**_

In a small house, a family of two were enjoying a peaceful night. The daughter, a young woman in her twenties, washed the dishes as the radio spouted news from the ShinRa Electric Company. She had short brown hair with matching Wutaian-like eyes which have seen great bloodshed. Despite being seemingly frail, there was a strength within most would not expect.

Meanwhile, the father was going through several files, creases adorning his forehead. Neither spoke and, for a small moment, they could pretend being a normal family, but it didn't last for long.

"Hey, Elf-Felicia!" the newcomer corrected himself quickly as he entered their home. "Your dad has a guest!"

Felicia wiped her hands as she went to greet the two in the main entrance. A brown-haired man with a bandanna stood next to a short blonde woman dressed neatly in a navy jacket and matching pants.

"Hello, Shears," she welcomed with a smile before turning to the less familiar guest. "And you are…"

"Call me Emma," the short-haired woman replied. "I was in the area, so I decided to report to Veld personally."

"He's in the study – second floor, first door on the right," the former AVALANCHE leader directed. "Will others be coming by too?"

"They have their own areas to oversee," Emma, formerly known as "Gun" told her as she headed towards the stairs.

"First us, Zirconiade then that other monster," Shears commented once the woman entered the study. "Those Turks certainly have it hard."

"My father told me there has been strange people appearing all over the world." The former terrorists went to sit down in the living room. "People of all ages, all ethnicities – some of whom can speak the old tongues. They have been grouping together in cities, villages, even wastelands and forests if his informant is to be believed."

"The Turks say Sigma's in the center of all this." Shears accepted a cup of tea from Felicia who frowned at the information.

"Didn't she disappear after the Zirconiade fiasco? How can they be sure she is involved?" Granted, neither knew much about the elusive Turk other than her appearance and the secrecy that surrounded her constantly. However, she never hesitated helping them after Elfé's relation to Veld was revealed. Sigma wasn't the type to help people unless she had a good reason to.

Shears sighed tiredly. "That's the big question, isn't it?"

* * *

"Gun reporting in, sir," Emma announced as she stepped into the barely lit room. It was similar to Veld's office back in ShinRa headquarters, only with less books and space.

"Gun, please take a seat," Veld gestured to the chair in front of his desk as he put away his papers. "Did she come?"

His subordinate shook her head as she sat down. "We haven't had any contact with her since her text message three weeks ago. Knife's been strolling around the slums in Midgar, but there were no signs of Sigma whatsoever. Strangely, her "charges" aren't worried in the least."

"Is that so?"

Veld turned his chair around and looked out towards the moonlit sky. Sigma had been Tseng's protégé for the most part, but she had also been another child in Veld's eyes. She was an excellent Turk, but the girl changed after her three-year coma.

"Veld, Sigma… She couldn't have been taken by the Science Department, could she?"

The former leader of the Turks frowned. The silver-haired Turk had been an experiment prior to her "recruitment". Some pet project of Hojo's that failed, apparently. It never escape his notice how she resembled the General despite neither being related. Now that the General was dead, Hojo had been trying to get Sigma back into the labs, but the President stopped the scientist as a favor to Veld. Surprisingly, even his son decided to stand between Hojo and his former experiment.

Even so, if Sigma was captured and put into the good professor's custody now, there was nothing they could do.

"If those people did not worry about her absence, then it is likely there is nothing to worry about," Veld stated. "You should still remain on the lookout, however."

"Of course." Emma's frame became less tense at her boss' reassurance. "There is something else I think you might find interesting, sir."

She took out her PHS and showed a picture of a young woman with short black hair and bright blue eyes. "Knife took this picture two days ago. She says this person has been in contact with the Ancient and an organisation, likely a terrorist cell."

"Those eyes…"

"Knife theorized that she may have been dumped in mako or injected, but, for that, she would need to be in contact with either the mako reactors or the Science Department. Both are unlikely since it seems she is one of Sigma's "charges" – that does not, however, explain how she obtained those enhancements."

Veld turned towards Emma. "Do you believe she is one of them?"

"I cannot be certain. She is too fluent in Midgarian, but she speaks the old tongues as well. The others do trust her, so there must be a connection. Rather than her relation to them, I believe we should focus on her relation to Sigma."

 _ **Ring! Ring!**_

Both former Turks were momentarily taken by surprise, but Veld opened his phone as though nothing was wrong. The caller ID, however, certainly attracted his attention.

"Sigma, where are you?" he asked, his words laced with urgency.

" **In Midgar for now, sir.** **I apologize for not being much help in helping defeat Jade Weapon, but it was paramount that I remain where I am.** "

"What have you gotten yourself into?"

" **You mean with the Earthlings or the new Avalanche, sir?** "

"The new Avalanche?" Veld repeated.

" **If ShinRa does not change its policies, it will fall, regardless of Avalanche or other sources of discontent** ," Sigma explained. " **I would also like to ask for a favor, sir.** "

"What kind of favor?"

" **Surely you've noticed that people who didn't exist began to appear since around three years ago.** "

"I'm surprised the President hasn't done anything about them yet."

Sigma chuckled, a reaction very unlike her. " **It's a good thing he hasn't. The last thing they need is for ShinRa to be after them.** "

"The favor," Veld reminded her.

" **Could you have the others help them settle in their new homes a bit? I mostly took care of the ones in Midgar and Kalm, even paid those in Junon a few visits, but I can't be everywhere at once.** "

"Will they harm the Company?"

" **I think they'll be too preoccupied with surviving – the Earthlings in Midgar included. Some may be willing to provide a bit of help in order to save the Planet, but… Well, we'll see about that.** "

"Will you contact us again in the future?"

" **Doubtful. If you have any messages, send them to Arian. She is the only one who I will remain in contact with.** "

"The girl with the mako eyes?"

" **That is correct**."

"Stay safe."

" **I intend to.** "


	4. Night

**Mosaic of Silver**

 **IV**

* * *

 **NIGHT**

* * *

 _ **Vnútri Zorja**_

Sigma walked through a forest of bright white trees, her footsteps echoing softly after her. The full moon, yet again, shone in the distance. Soon enough, the edge of the forest drew near to reveal a large lake with mountains in the distance. A figure stood at the shore, seemingly undisturbed by the Turk's presence. A moment of "something" passed between the two, like some common understanding that needed no words. The figure's shoulders slumped just a bit… before it evaded the first bullet.

The silver-haired Turk shot again, this time narrowly missing her target. The figure, a teenage girl, seemed to smirk as she bolted towards Sigma. The Turk fired three shots in quick succession, one of which hit the girl's shoulder. Hissing from the pain, the girl drew out her handgun from thin air and attacked.

Now on the defensive – and running out of bullets – Sigma tried to retreat to the forest for cover. However, the girl intended to finish everything quickly and pointed the gun towards her – the first bullet hit her abdomen and the second one scraped her right arm. Suddenly, Sigma changed her trajectory, now heading towards her opponent. It took her only a moment to aim and shoot, her actions so fast they could barely be seen.

Blood gushed out of the bullet-hole as her opponent's eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground. A breeze passed by, unnoticed. The sound of waves crashing onto the shore continued peacefully, as though a fight had not just taken place just seconds ago. Like the calm after the storm…

"Itai yo!" the girl exclaimed loudly as she sat up, both hands on her forehead. "Was that really necessary? I only managed to cancel part of the pain when you fired that shot! I don't recall "being shot to death" as part of the contract, you know."

Sigma's blank expression did not change. "If I wanted to, you would be dead already. Overconfidence will destroy you."

The black-haired girl sweat-dropped. "Now where have I heard _that_ before?"

"Your speed has greatly improved, but your skills with a gun leave much to be desired," the Turk continued, ignoring the comment. "You _have_ ceased to hesitate when shooting me, however."

"Apologies for being unable to shoot you before," the teen rolled her eyes as she wiped off the blood on her forehead. "I've only had seventeen years of morals preaching me to not injure or kill others unless absolutely necessary."

Sigma was not amused. "I believe your current circumstances make it so."

"Sigma, there is a difference between shooting a person during training and under duress."

"It is unfortunate that I cannot help you with other weapons – you will need to find the one that suits you on your own." Sigma commented almost mournfully.

"Right. Anyways, what did you think of our "SOLDIER" trio?" the black-haired girl asked. "You were awfully silent after you left them behind."

"Commander Rhapsodos seems to have changed. He has begun regaining his honor."

"Is that so?" The handkerchief was thrown away, revealing unmarred skin. "I didn't peg you as the "honorable" type, but you _were_ trained under Tseng… I wonder what kind of person he'll turn out to be, with his degradation cured and all."

The silver-haired Turk raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Do you not already know? Since he was awakened in the end."

"He only appeared at the end of Dirge – the secret ending," her companion replied with a shrug before doing a poor imitation of Genesis' voice. " _It is not yet time to slumber, my brother_. Anyways, why wasn't he taken by Deepground? That's the only explanation I have for his presence." She frowned thoughtfully. "We couldn't have changed _that_ much already…"

After all, the only major change they participated in so far was saving Zack Fair's life. None of the small ripples they created should be able to make so great a wave. Granted, the Crimson Commander's presence in Deepground served little purpose other than to have his genes spliced into the Tsviets and create the catalysis that would later serve to drive _Dirge of Cerberus_ ' plot. Okay, so his presence there _would_ have been important. But really, whether he ended up in Sector Zero or not, the Deepground soldiers would eventually revolt.

"I do not see why it is a cause for concern," Sigma interrupted. "Is his presence not an advantage for us?"

The younger girl could only sigh. "I suppose you're right. We're going to change a lot more events in any case – might as well get used to the unexpected."

Sigma was no longer looking at her, but at the lake reflecting the moonlight. Following the Turk's gaze, the teen became solemn. A bitter smile graced her lips as the two let the silence fall on them. They were both in a situation neither of them asked for – Sigma because of the experiments and herself because…

"Four years… Time sure flies."

"Two more to go, correct?"

The teen stretched her arms. "Yup, hopefully. Are you really to say goodbye?"

"Is it not supposed to be "See you later"?"

* * *

 _"Hey, Sigma?" Arian spoke as she watched two small orbs of light float in her hands._

 _The silver-haired woman's eyes did not leave her handgun as she cleaned it thoroughly. "What is it?"_

 _They were in a cave, amongst glowing white trees, next to a large, moonlit lake. The elder of the two was leaning against one of said trees as the younger sat on a rock at the water's edge._

 _"Do you think I can actually do anything?"_

 _"About the alien?" Sigma looked at her reflection on the gun's barrel before returning her weapon to its place. "Or Aerith?"_

 _"Ripples form on the water's surface – like the flapping of a butterfly's wings – evolve into tragedy." The two orbs floated upwards until they disappeared amongst the stars._

 _Sigma snorted at the quote half-heartedly. "I'm sure you'll become fast friends with Rhapsodos. He's always been Loveless this and Loveless that." She walked over and sat beside the short-haired girl. "I don't believe it – that our existence's goal is to re-enacted that play. A play's a play, no need to get it all wrapped up with reality."_

 _"Is that why you refer to_ her _that way?" Her black-haired companion refrained from mentioning one of her theories about Loveless. ""Alien" and not "Calamity" or even "Jenova"."_

 _"That thing will not become the Calamity you knew her as," the Turk declared. "We'll stop her and Sephiroth."_

 _Arian stared at Sigma's determination in surprise, but turned to face the lake, her own eyes becoming hard. Her next words marked the beginning of the end._

* * *

" _A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead."_

\- Graham Greene, _The End of the Affair_

* * *

 **Thanks for favoriting this fic, FRAODD, Kohanita and Kushina 98! :)**


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